L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 15 L'Italo-Americano Slow Turism: traveling with attention to details Y o u s p e n d e v e r y w a k i n g hour at the office stressing about your clients, and when you're not at the office you are rushing to pick up Johnny and Jane from school or dashing to the grocery store to pick up Stouffer's fro- zen lasagna because you have no time to cook. Sound fami- liar? Many of us have grown so accustomed to our hectic sche- dules that we mistakenly apply that frantic mentality to travel- ling. N o w p i c t u r e y o u r s e l f relaxing in a quaint Tuscan villa overlooking over the verdant, hilly countryside, sipping cap- puccino, and eating handmade biscotti baked fresh from the local market. That is the essence of slow travel, which encoura- ges us to ditch the jam-packed travel itineraries and travel-til- you-drop mentality in order to embrace our beautiful surroun- dings in a comfortable, natural way. You will gain more respect and understanding of local tradi- tions and culture and ease up on the old pocketbook. S l o w t o u r i s m h a s g a i n e d momentum in Italy, influenced b y t h e s l o w f o o d m o v e m e n t started by Carlo Petrini in 1986. The slow food movement began as a response to the fast food that arrived in Italy due to glo- balization, which has been said to cause health problems and loss of quality and diversity. Angry at McDonald's for selling its unhealthy, unappetizing food in Rome, Petrini decided he wanted to protect local food and revive regional flavors. T h e s l o w f o o d m o v e m e n t values localism, social conscien- ce, and political activism. It advocates for a return to tradi- tional cuisine and local farming. The movement expanded to over 100,000 participants in over 100 countries. It has sparked the rise of local organizations promoting sustainability and Fair trade, rejecting the unsavory fruits of globalization and the processed foods that damage our health. Like the slow food move- ment, slow tourism is a way for people to become more connec- t e d t o l o c a l c o m m u n i t i e s . T r a v e l l e r s a r e m o r e a b l e t o engage with their communities on a more intimate level and savor the tastes, sounds, and activities that locals do. It enri- ches their experiences, and sti- mulates the regional economies in the process. In an increasin- gly global world, it has never been more important to embrace our diversity and cultures and gain more appreciation for our differences in a personal way. Italy has been investing a lot in slow travel. Its train system has recently remodeled four pre- viously inoperable lines that are now used for slow travel. These rides take picturesque routes in vintage 1920 steam railway cars for "slow travellers" to fully take in the experience. They will be open just in time for tourist season, with travel times ran- ging from 20 minutes to three hours. One of the routes runs throu- gh the lush countryside of Val d'Orcia in Tuscany. Another l i n e c i r c l e s t h e l a k e I s e o northeast of Milan. A third line runs through Abruzzo's moun- t a i n s , a n d t h e l a s t o n e i s b y Agrigento on Sicily's Southern Coast. N o t o n l y d o e s t r a v e l l i n g slowly allow people to build a JANE HUSON stronger connection to the peo- ple and places they visit, but they tend to be less worried about crossing everything off the travelling to-do list. You may stay somewhere long enou- gh to get to know your neigh- bors and the shoppers at the supermarket, and even have a strong opinion about the best gelato place Slow travel is also better for the environment because travel costs will be less. Plus, it helps t o s a v e m o n e y . S t a y i n g somewhere for a week or more decreases transportation costs, and vacation rentals are often more cost efficient than hotels. You can cook your own food in your own kitchen, making you feel even more at home. W h o s a i d w o r k h a r d p l a y hard was the way to go? Maybe w h e n i t c o m e s t o t r a v e l , w e should take a page out of Italy's book and take it slow. Italy's train system has recently remodeled four previously inoperable lines that are now used for slow travel

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